Valve.



W. A. SPEAKMAN.

VALVE. APPLICATION FILED 00T. 29, 19 09.

Patented NVENTUH r.' Troma-r.

WILLARD A. SPEAKMAN, 0F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 28, 1911.

Application filed Getober 29,1909. Serial No. 525,263.

To all whom 'Lt may concern.'

Be it known that I, IVILLARD A. SrEAK- MAN, a resident of INTilmingtOn, in the county of New Castle, in t-he State of Delaware, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Valves, of which the following is an exact and true description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My present invention relates to that type of valve in which `provisions are made for causing the valve to close automatically when permitted to do so and in which a dash pot mechanism is provided for causing the valve to close slowly so that the fluid controlled by the valve may continue to flow for an appreciable and predetermined period after the valve is free to close.

The object of the present invention is to provide a valve of the hind specified with mechanism controlling the closure of the valve which is simple and "relatively inexpensive to construct and is effective and reliable in operation, and free from liability of having its proper operation interfered with by particles of sand or the like in the fluid passing through the valve.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, however, and the advantages possessed by it, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which I have illustrated and described one of the many forms in which the invention may be embodied.

Of the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of the assembled valve Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the valve proper and the parts of the attached dash pot piston.

In the particular embodiment of the invention shown for the purpose of illustration in the drawings, A represents a one piece valve casing which is formed with inlet and outlet chambers B and C respectively, a valve seated port D connecting said chambers, inlet and outlet passages B and G, respectively, and dash pot chamber E ofV cylindrical form and coaxial with the port D and in open communication with the inlet chamber B. The port D is controlled b v a valve member F which may be of any suitable form and, as shown, has its body portion on the inlet side of the port D and a guide portion Il" projecting through the port. The valve I*1 is moved off its seat by an arm Gr carried by a shaft I-I projecting through the wall of the outlet chamber C of the valve casing and provided without the casing with an operating arm I which, in the form shown, is a pedal.

The dash pot piston, to which my present invention particularly pertains, comprises a follower' J, a stem M connecting the follower' J to the valve member F, and a washer surrounding the stem M. The washer comprises a non-metallic body portion K formed of chr'ome lea-ther or other suitable material, and a metallic portion which is interposed between the adjacent surface of the follower J and the washer body K. Preferably, as shown, the metallic portion of the washer is in the form of an annulus K having a groove in its periphery in which the washer body K is received. The washer should have some, but preferably not much play toward and away from the follower J. j The movement of the washer away from the follower might be limited by the engagement of the washer directly with portions of the valve proper but preferably as shown such movement is checked by the arms L of a spider member L mounted on the stem M. In the construction illustrated the stem M is in the form of a rod secured at one end to the valve and having the other end threaded. The member L engages the valve member F and is clamped between the valve and the hub of the follower J by a nut M on the threaded end of the stein M. The washer body portion K lits snugly against the inner wall of the piston chamber E but the opening through the annular member K is of appreciably greater diameter' than the body of member L and the hub J 2 of member J The latter is of somewhat smaller cross sectional area than `the chamber E and has its end surface J adjacent the washer conical while the adjacent end of the annular member K is plane. A spring N ex tends between the outer end of the follower J and the cap A which, with the washer O, closes the outer end of chamber E. 1

In operation, when it is desired to open the valve, the arm or pedal is depressed and thereby moves the valve F off its seat, thus opening the portI D. As the valve leaves its seat the washer remains stationlry until it is engaged by the arms L of member L, after which the washer moves with the valve l Vuntil the opening movement of the latter is completed. In consequence, the washer does not materially impede the opening movey mentfof the valve, for any fluid in the cham- Y ber la abovethe piston can escape freely through the slight spac-e between the follower surface J2 and the member K, the central passage through the latter and the spaces between arms L. lVlien the valve is free to close it starts to do so undei the action on the valve of the iiuid flowing through the valve casing and the action of thespring N. The initial closing movement of the valve brings the surface-J2 ofthe follower against the end of annular inem- Qber K" and thereafter the washer travels with the valve.` This retards the closing `movement of the valve F for onfaecountof the snug fit of the nonsmetallic washer portion' K with the wall of chamber E and with themember K, the only wayin which the` upper end ofthechamber E .can fillwith liquid is by leakage between the surface J ofthe follower and the contacting surface of the member K. .V Y Topermit va restricted leakage between the followerl and the surface of the member K engaged'byrit, the cooperating annularV surfaces of these members-are arranged to contact roughly. `This ,means that in prac- @ticer neither of the cooperating contact sur` faces is carefully` machined to give a smooth finish. IVith roughness of contact between the surfaces J and the :corresponding surface of the memberK in conjunction with thefnarrow,width of the contact surfaces due to their non-parallelism the desired restricted leakage. is readily obtained. At the same time, the operation ofthe device is f not greatly affected by sand or dirt in the rwater or other fluid controlled bythe valve.v

There are nor-restricted parts or channels to be Vobstructed by such foreign matter and the only effect produced by its presence is toaccelerate randlnot retard the closing. of thelvalve.` In consequence,particles 'of sand or the like' getting between the follower and the metallic portionof thewasher dofnot remain iiiplace but on the contraryare alinostzinstarntly floated out. A

rlhe constructiondisclosed isY obviously durable aswell as reliable.v The -non-metal- Vlic portion; of the'V composite washer is so effectively reinforced by the member K that' `it deteriorates very slowly and of course maintains its vshape well.

i Halvingnow describedmy inveiitioii,wliat 'i 60 I claim asnew, and desire to secure by Let` ters Patent, is:

l. In a self closing valve, the combination '4 ofia valve casing formed with a valve seated ,Y port and a dash pot chamber, a valve controlling said port, and a dash pot piston secured to said' valve and comprising a metallic-follower of less cross sectional area than said chamber, a portion of still smaller cross section connecting the valve and follower, and a composite washer loosely suirounding said portion and having a non-inetallic body portion snugly fitting in said chamber, and a metallic portion adapted to engage said follower during the closing movement of the valve, said follower and said metallic washer portion having coperating annular surfaces which contactroughly, whereby a restricted leakage may occur between said surfaces.

2. In a self closing valve, the combination of a valve casing formed with a valvevseated port and a dash pot chamber, a valve controlling said port, and a dash pot piston secured to said valve and comprising a metallic follower of less cross sectional area than said chamber, a portion of still smaller cross section connecting the valve and follower, and a composite washer loosely surrounding said portion and having-a non-metallic body portion snugly fitting in said chamber, and a metallic portion, said follower and metallic washer portion having `cooperating narrow annular surfaces which contact roughly,

tween said surfaces.

3. Ina-self closing valve, the combination of a valvecasing formed with a valve seated port and a dash pot chamber, a valve controlling said port, and a dash pot piston secured to said valve and comprising ametallic'A follower of lesscross sectional area than said chamber, a. portion of still smaller cross section connecting the valve and follower, and a composite washer loosely surrounding said portion and having a non-metallic body portion rectangular in cross section snugly fitting in said chamber, and an annular inetallic portion adapted to engage said follower during the closing movement of the valve, andV formed wit-ha groove in its periphery receiving said non-metallic body portion, said follower and said metallic washer portion having coperating annular surfaces which contact roughly, whereby a restricted leakage may occur between said surfaces.

4. In a self-closing valve, the combination of a valve casing formed with a valve seated -whereby a restricted leakage may occur beport and a dashpot chamber, a valve controlling said port, and a dash pot piston secured to said valve and comprising a -inetallic follower of less cross sectional area than said chamber, a portion of still smaller cross section connecting the valve and follower, and a composite washer loosely,surrounding said portion and `having a non-metallic body 'portion snugly fitting in said chamber, vand lan annular metallic portion adapted to engage said follower during the closing movement of the valve, andformed with a groove in its periphery receiving saidnon-metallic body portion, said annular metallic portion and Said follower having :non-parallel engaging surfaces which contact roughly, whereby a restricted leakage may occur between said Surfaces. i

5. In a self closing valve, the combination of a valve casing formed with inlet and outlet chambers and a valve seated port connecting said chambers and formed also with a dash pot chamber on the inlet side of and in alinement with said port, and in open communication at its inner end with Said inlet chamber', a valve controlling said port, a dash pot piston, means connecting it to the valve comprising a stem secured to the valve at one end, a follower Secured to the stem adjacent its other end, a spider like member carried by the stem between the valve and said follower, and a composite washer surrounding said stem and capable of some axial movement between the follower and Spider like member, said washer comprising a non-metallic body portion adapted to fit snugly in said dash pot chamber and an annular metallic body formed with a peripheral groove in which said non-metallic body portion is received, said annular metallic portion and follower having narrow., nonparallel, engaging, surfaces which contact roughly, whereby a restricted leakage may occur between said surfaces, and a spring acting on the follower in a direction to move the valve toward its seat.

WILLARD A. SPEAKMAN.

llitnesses ARNOLD KATZ, D. STEWART.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. C. 

